Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has described law as one of the poorest professions in Nigeria, questioning the employment opportunities available to trained lawyers.
VeryDarkMan made the remarks while reacting to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, where he participated in a panel discussion on insecurity and issues affecting Nigerians.
His appearance at the conference attracted criticism from some lawyers, who questioned the decision to invite the activist to the gathering.
Responding in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, VeryDarkMan said he attended the conference to represent Nigerians who, he claimed, often lacked the platform to express their concerns.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.
He added, “Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst.”
The activist then challenged the perception of law as a noble profession, taking particular aim at lawyers who criticised his presence at the conference.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
He added, “Well, lately, law has not been a noble profession. I’m sorry to say. I’m not even sorry to say. It is what it is.”
VeryDarkMan argued that many lawyers struggle to secure employment or establish sustainable legal practices, describing law as one of the country’s poorest professions.
“But even you, some of you who are not even practising. Mind you, law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country,” he said.
“Because we never talk about it. Law is one of the most broke professions. One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”
He further questioned the number of qualified lawyers who have jobs and regularly practise in court.
“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that,” he said.
The activist also questioned the number of graduates produced by the Nigerian Law School each year in relation to available opportunities within the profession.
“And every year, they say they have people graduating from law school. Four thousand have graduated from law school, only to end up selling bedsheets,” he added.
VeryDarkMan’s comments followed the controversy generated by his appearance at the NBA conference, where he was invited to contribute to discussions on insecurity and the wider challenges confronting Nigerians.
(The Sun)